Danny and Phil foil holders

Actions from the Elland open pairs bowls, at Kingston BC. Pictured is Paul Cestrone

Published:12:56Monday 10 September 2018

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Danny Towning and Phil Hill won the Elland Association’s Open Pairs, sponsored by Briggs Priestley Ltd, with a 15-9 final victory over holders Adam Ward and Rob Spinks at Kingston BC yesterday.

The final was an all-Dalton affair and produced some excellent bowling.

Ward and Spinks opened with a panful at the first end, but failed to capitalise and conceded five chalks at the next two ends. Ward and Spinks then went 8-5 up playing a straight mark below the crown.

At this point Towning and Hill changed their order with Hill following the leader. It worked a treat as they then played a long corner mark to record two threes and a single to lead 12-9. It was followed by a single to Ward and Spink, before Towning and Hill secured victory with a pair.

The eventual winners had begun the day by beating Roy Watters and Mick Page in comprehensive fashion, by 15-1. They following up with a 15-9 win over another Kingston pair, Simon Page and Martin Atkinson, who could not match their opponents’ great bowling.

Their quarter final opponents Cathy Ness and Martin Steele (Siddal Park) proved to be made of sterner stuff. After conceding an early panful and a single, they changed the game with Ness leading well in the sluggish corners to take the next eight points.

The game became nip and tuck as the scores moved along to 12 across, but Towning then led two immaculate woods, and with Steele failing with a strike, Towning and Hill completed a 15-12 win.

They took a 10-3 lead in their semi-final against Robert and Les Holmes (Elland WM), with Towning leading some great woods. Try as they might, the Holmeses couldn’t break Towning’s consistent leading and he and Hill powered through by 15-7.

Ward and Spinks began against homesters Phil Stone and Stuart Rodd, who were giving two start. They soon found themselves 5-1 down but the Kingston pair then began to play really well and took a commanding 10-5 lead, only for the wheels to fall off and their opponents coasted to victory with two pairs, singles and a panful to win 15-10.

Their next opponents were Siddal’s Martin Greenwood and Brendon Malone, who made a good start to lead 5-3.

Neither pair was able to hold on to the jack and the scores were tied at 6, 9, 11 and 13 before Spinks and Ward managed a pair and single to go to game 15-13.

Their semi-final opponents were Paul O’Brien and Trevor Gasson ( Hove Edge ), who took a 5-2 lead. This was counted with Spinks leading immaculately on a long pegging mark to help his side into a 12-5 lead.

A brief flurry from O’Brien and Gasson moved them to 10 but they didn’t add to their tally.